A year after the release of Tom Trago’s ‘Iris’ album we now have versions from no less than KiNK, Linkwood AND Larry Heard.
Tom Trago – Iris Remixes [RH114RMX]
chicago house
Alex Isreal – Front Butt [CR1258]
Alex Israel, Chicago’s own overlord of deranged deep house comes to Creme with a rip-roaring four tracker in said style. Lush pads meander over swampy basslines and drum patterns that wash over you like a sweet Monsoon. Hard to imagine it was conceived in the Windy City, but we guess the allure of the unattainable is a potent one.
Ken Kojima – Obscure Business [CHIWAX004]
The Black Electro Orchestra – ElectroMusica Popular [TTHR-DR014]
New release by Tevo Howard under his The Black Electro Orchestra project, reinterpreting classic pop songs by Culture Club, Joe Jackson, Eurythmics, Depeche Mode and Madonna.
Paul du Lac – Child’s Play [CJFD012]
Three new and raw box tracks by Paul du Lac, who seems to be pushing his minimalistic jackin’ sound palette even further. We have the fierce and autistic-tantristic dirtyness of ‘Tantra Master’, the Dance Mania flavoured funk of ‘Childs Play’, and the deep strings of the bassline-driven ‘Spaces Below’, a classic Chicago-inspired piece of work that seems to come from deep within.
Max D – Orgies of The Hemp Eaters [FT013]
Future Times presents a new Max D 12″, with a remix by Terekke! Max is back from the jungles of “Polo”, and he’s shed some of the atmosphere to make two cuts in full precision mode. “Orgies Of The Hemp Eaters” swings between Sakamoto romanticism and classic bass euphoria while the drums almost snap the track apart. Terekke steps in next with his “Can’t Get Enuff Mix” and punishes with a smudged version. B-side “Slick” streamlines the flow into a taut, intricate frenzy – a meditation on melody and the pure bliss of machines.
LHAS INC – Will You Dance With Me [CY009]
Strong track from L.H.A.S. Inc. (Jamie Read and Felix Dickinson). Analogue synths and vintage drum machines rock along with an infectious old school style reminiscent of the early sounds coming from Chicago and New York in the late 80’s early 90’s. On the B side Phoreski delivers a remix that takes the track to another level, darker haunting synths and a robo vocal asking, ‘Do you like the way you feel, will you dance with me’.
Chicago Shags – The Family Album [MOS017]
Brian ‘Orgue Electronique’ Schijf and Danny ‘Legowelt’ Wolfers return with their project Chicago Shags on the ever-excellent MOS Recordings. The four track EP starts with ‘Ponderosa’; a forward looking, cosmic surfing house cut wired with plenty of smooth electronics and pure jacking energy, before ‘Pancake Breakfast’ glistens and glints just as much with its firefly synth lines, gurgling baseline and sweet, pixelated melodies. ‘Firetruck Sunday’ is more dense and edgy, never resting in one place for more than a single beat, with chattery drums and claps offset by a rounded, smoothed but acidy bassline. Finally, ‘To The Westfield’ surges and soars through more sci-fi universes as a house groove busies itself below.
R-A-G – Black Rain EP [MOSDEEP011]
MOS Deep presents Black Rain EP, the return to the label for R-A-G aka Aroy himself, G-String and Marco Spaventi. Opening with ‘Fog’ the deep vibe is set immediately. Crispy snares, a chugging groove and plenty of eerie sonics swirl around into something with a keen sense of foreboding. The titular track then gets all Chicago with its busy claps and nagging synth lines. The mood is a sombre one for those creepy back room sets and the analogue machinery used to make it gives a trademark warm and fuzzy feel to proceedings. The EP closes with a reprise of ‘Black Rain’. This beat-less rework deals in ambient synthscapes that drag you into their fold and never let you go.
Echo 106 – Broken Hihat Machine [MATH060]
Swiss producer Echo 106 sees an EP with 4 outstanding tracks on Chicago’s Mathematics Recordings. The title track calls upon the spirits of Chicago’s jack past & is followed by “Copy Ins Del”, a deep acid filled cut.
Steve Murphy & die Roh – The Chasm [CHIWAX001LP]
The first full length on Chiwax is coming from Steve Murphy & die Roth from Venice, Italy. The album includes 8 lovely vintage Chicago house and ’80ies Chicago house tracks.
The Housefactors – Play It Loud [BM010]
Official re-issue of Larry Heard’s The Housefactors project! Another one of his classics!. Raw and relentless tracks that went so far from any electronic dance music from that period that, to date, is still recognized as Larry Heard’s Signature sound. With his Mr Finger’s and Fingers inc. projects going towards club use, this and his Gherkin Jerks showed another side of him… probably a darker side, but for sure a more raw and different side with music that most likely was transmitted to him from another planet. Many producers have been inspired by his sound, and tried to create their own defenition of house music, but still to date Gherkin Jerks and The Housefactors are some of the most unique projects in House music history. Play It Loud originally came out in 1988 (!) on Black Market records. And how cool is it to see an official re-issue on the original label by the original guys who did this almost 25 years ago!. Eternal respect to Larry Heard and a big thanks to Black Market records for making this important record available again.
Cosmo & Faber – ROOF.FM No. 51
Echo 106 – Winter Music [LXRC08]
An epic Journey into the deeper shadows of Winter. Echo 106 will take you there, where snow conceals, nightfall comes early and unwelcome visitants hunt you. 6 songs, not just tracks, that are a perfect soundtrack to your innermost toughts. Lux Rec had compiled this selection out of several tracks, new and from the archives, and delivers again some damn fine music.
Trackman Lafonte & Bon Qui Qui – Desert Flight EP [CR1256]
Creme Organization presents the Trackman Lafont & Bon Qui Qui EP, a raw banging surfer house EP from the No-Cal beaches by Legowelt & Xosar. The real tracks from the tube!
Mick Wills @ Golden Pudel (Hamburg, DE) 21.01.2012
D’Marc Cantu live @ Moog (Barcelona) 18.01.2012
Simoncino – The Warrior Dance #4 [LAX128]
Skylax is back with ‘Warrior Dance IV’, featuring some Chicago proto – house jackin’ heaven tracks. The A side has three the Chicago tracks from the hand of Simoncino called “It’s hot”, “Movida” & “Ore nove nove”. On the B side,there’s three great remixes. Two from the legendary Merwyn Sanders from Virgo Four fame & another one from another Chicago legend Gene Hunt.
Personator – The Last Sunday in January 2012
San Proper / Aroy Dee – Perfume [MOS016]
Aroy Dee and San Proper craft a beautiful four track EP entitled “Perfume” for M>O>S. An EP of more mind-melting or heart warming house sounds you are unlikely to hear because Aroy Dee and his MOS are the true masters of future facing, retro-referencing house music.
The Hipodrome Of Music 